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Mekele

Also known as Makale, Meqele, Mek'elē, Mekelle, Mek’ele

Mekelle (), or '''Mek'ele''', is a special zone and capital of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Mekelle was formerly the capital of Enderta awraja in Tigray. It is located around north of the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, with an elevation of above sea level. Administratively, Mekelle is considered a Special Zone, which is divided into seven sub-cities. It is the economic, cultural, and political hub of northern Ethiopia.

AI overview

Mekelle is the capital city of the Tigray Region in northern Ethiopia, located several hundred kilometers north of the country's capital, Addis Ababa. It serves as the main economic, cultural, and political center for northern Ethiopia and is administratively organized as a Special Zone divided into seven sub-cities.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

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Place details

Locality: Mekelle
Region: ትግራይ تجراى
Country: ኢትዮጵያ
Population: 457,900
Timezone: Africa/Addis_Ababa

via OpenStreetMap · GeoNames

Key facts

Settlement.official_name: Mekelle
Settlement.settlement_type: Regional capital and special zone
Settlement.image_caption: From top, left to right: Central Mekelle; Hawzen Square; Tekele Haymanot Church; Emperor Yohannes IV Palace Museum; Meskel cross at Chom’a hill; Tigray Martyrs Memorial Monument
Settlement.nickname: The Northern Star(ሰሜናዊት ኮኾብ)
Settlement.image_map: Mekelle special zone in Tigray Region, Ethiopia.svg
Settlement.map_caption: Mekelle special zone
Settlement.pushpin_map: Ethiopia#Horn of Africa#Africa
Settlement.pushpin_map_caption: Location within Ethiopia##Location within the Horn of Africa##Location within Africa
Settlement.subdivision_type: Country
Settlement.subdivision_type1: Region
Settlement.subdivision_name1: Tigray
Settlement.subdivision_type2: Zone
Settlement.subdivision_name2: Mekelle Special Zone
Settlement.leader_title: Mayor
Settlement.leader_name: (Redae Berhe )
Settlement.elevation_m: 2254
Settlement.area_code: (+251) 14
Settlement.area_total_km2: 93

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Official name: መቀሌ
Population: 61583
Area: 24.44
Elevation: 2084
Official website: www.mekelleadministration.gov.et
Image: ET Mekele asv2018-01 img19 pano from Choma.jpg
Dialing code: 34

Show 3 more facts

Commons category: Mek'ele
native label: መቐለ
P12749: Velezzo Lomellina

Sources (6)

via Wikidata · CC0

Travel guide

Understand

Mekele (or the smaller towns of Wukro and Hawzien to the north) can be used as a base to explore the many rock-hewn churches scattered across the stunning high-desert landscape of northern Tigray. The churches are as rewarding to visit as they are (often) difficult to reach. Abuna Yemata Guh is a particular highlight, although not recommended for those without a head for heights. The tourist office in Wukro can help to arrange guides and transport.

See

thumb|Yohannes IV Museum Yohannis IV Museum, opposite the Atse Yohannis Hotel. Formerly the palace of Emperor Yohannes IV. Sit on the balcony of the Atse Yohannis Hotel (situated near Ethiopian Telecomms building, on the roundabout that has a sometimes-on fountain in its centre) and watch the world go by while having a coffee, cold beer, fresh juice, lunch or dinner. It's a nice view and you're up on the first floor so you're away from beggars and street-stares.

Do

Walk around the town, the tree-lined streets are pleasant to walk around and observe life going on around you. Chele Anka Waterfall - 8km out of Mekele, to the southwest - a nice hike to get there, more dramatic in the rainy season.

Eat

There are quite a few 'ferenji' restaurants in Mekele, serving pizza, meat, chicken, fish, vegetables and salads. There's also lots of national food restaurants and many cake/pastry/coffee shops.

Geza Gerelassie - eating/drinking/dancing venue, has great beef dishes such as shish kebab and shekla tibs. Live Ethiopian music and dancing at the weekend (or is it Thursday and Saturday nights - maybe someone else can confirm?). Everyone gets up and joins in, it's good fun. They have good food too and a bar. Karibu Kitchen restaurant has European and national dishes. The pizza is great and you can eat outside in the charming garden. Yordanos restaurant beside the Abreha Castle Hotel has European and national dishes. They have another branch down the road into the town, called Yordanos Blue (this one doesn't have pizza but has everything else).

Go next

Hawzien to the north, in an area with many rock-hewn churches Adwa and nearby Yeha with its ancient temple, further north than Hawzien

Travel guide from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0)

~21 min read

Article

25 sections

Contents

History
Origins
19th century
20th century
21st century
Geography
Cityscape
Sub-cities
Climate
Demographics
Economy
Manufacturing
Services
Agriculture
Livestock
Governance and politics
Infrastructure
Transport
Education
Sports
International relations
Twin towns – sister cities
See also
References
External links

Mekelle (), or '''Mek'ele', is a special zone and capital of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Mekelle was formerly the capital of Enderta awraja in Tigray. It is located around north of the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, with an elevation of above sea level. Administratively, Mekelle is considered a Special Zone, which is divided into seven sub-cities. It is the economic, cultural, and political hub of northern Ethiopia.

Mekelle has grown rapidly since 1991 with a population of 61,000 in 1984, 97,000 inhabitants in 1994 (96.5% being Tigrinya-speakers), and 170,000 in 2006 (i.e. 4% of the population of Tigray). Mekelle is the second-largest city in Ethiopia after Addis Ababa, with a population of around 545,000. It is 4 times larger than Adigrat, the second-largest regional center. The majority of the population of Mekelle depends on government employment, commerce, and small-scale enterprises. In 2007, Mekelle had new engineering, cement, and textile factories, producing for the local and foreign markets. Mekelle University developed out of the pre-1991 Arid Agricultural College, and about a dozen other governmental and private colleges were created.